Bobcats Down Falcons In D9 Class-A Boys Basketball Quarterfinals

The homestanding and number 4 seeded, Clarion Area Bobcats downed the number 5 seeded, A-C Valley Falcons 78-68, in the District Nine Class-A Boys quarterfinals on Monday.

The Falcons scored final six points of the first period, moving from a 14-14 tie to a 20-14 lead. Beau Verdill had 7 points and Hunter Craddock scored five for the Cats, in the frame.

Then, in perhaps the biggest points output in any high school game, I’ve ever seen, Clarion scored an astounding thirty-three points, in the second. A number of Cats contributed to the surge: Verdill and Craddock scored eight points each, Christian Simko had 7 points, Ethan Burford followed with 6 points and Cal German scored four. The Bobcats’ limited the Falcons to fourteen points and took a 47-34 lead into halftime.

The third period was fairly even with A-C Valley holding a 19-16 edge, sending the game to the final stanza, with the Bobcats up 63-53. Led by Hunter Craddock’s six points, the Bobcats outscored the Falcons 15-5 in the fourth, to set the final.

Clarion had four players in double-figures, Verdill, Craddock, Simko and German. Verdill led way with 27 points, while pulling down 11 rebounds for a double-double and dishing out five assists. Craddock had 19 points and had seven rebounds. German scored 13 points and dished out seven assists and Simko contributed 12 points, while grabbing eight steals and handing out four assists. Ethan Burford had7 points and six assists.

Levi Orton had a fine game for the Falcons, as he led all scorers with thirty-two points.

The Bobcats move on to the semifinals on Friday (March 12th), as they travel to Elk County Catholic, to play the number 1 seeded Crusaders, who downed number 8 seed Otto-Eldred 61-48, in their semifinal match-up.

Tip-off is set for 7:00PM.

(Let’s Go, Cats!!!!)